“Being A Cartoonist Didn’t Really Define Him”
53
A Sekowsky Double-Dip At both Gold Key (Western) and DC, Peppe inked some interesting work penciled by Mike Sekowsky—and he did it up proud. The script for the moody page from Twilight Zone #6 (Feb. 1964) is attributed to Dick Wood—while the “Supergirl” tale in Adventure Comics #398 (Oct. 1970) was written as well by Sekowsky. The latter, Dewey Cassell notes, was the first appearance of the Maid of Steel in a re-designed costume, but the artists clearly hadn’t quite got the hang of it yet: note the missing “S” symbol in panel 2, and the indication of fingernails on her gloves! [Gold Key pages © 2012 the respective copyright holders; “Supergirl” page © 2012 DC Comics.]
supplemented his income. We lived very nice. We never lived poor. I had a beautiful home on the Island. In those days, you could buy a house for five or six thousand dollars down. We bought it in 1960 and we sold it in 1970. My mother passed away and we went to live in New Jersey in my father’s house because he was alone.
DC: Tell me about the Voice of America.
PEPPE: My husband applied for a job at the Voice of America. He had a very good friend in Washington, DC, Mike Roy, who went to work for the Voice of America in the art department. He encouraged Mike to fill out an application for it, because it was a steady job. This probably was about 1970-something. Mike asked for too much money, so he didn’t get that job. He had quite a few disappointments. That’s part of living and you have to accept them. DC: Did you save any of Mike’s comics?
PEPPE: No, I’m very sorry that I didn’t save his comic books. I have to be honest with you. I never read comic books as a kid. Every month, when we got a check, we received two issues of whatever comic book he worked on, that his inking was in. They would kick around the house for a couple of weeks, and then I
would say, “Honey, we don’t need these books. Do you need these books?” “No, that’s okay.”
We used to go to Frank Giacoia’s house and he would be working downstairs in the basement. We didn’t socialize with him too much, maybe once a year. He had files and files filled with reference material and books. And I would be throwing Mickey’s books out.
DC: Did Mike do any advertising work?
PEPPE: He did Smokey the Bear. And he also did The Man from U.N.C.L.E. My husband did Jackie Gleason’s comic book, too. If my husband were alive, he could tell you so much.
DC: Did Mike ever get any original art back?
PEPPE: He had a few [pages]. I don’t know what happened to them. I don’t have any of Mike’s artwork. Very seldom do you see his name on his artwork.
DC: Did it ever bother him that he didn’t get credit?
PEPPE: He didn’t care. He really liked what he did. Do you know how many men go to work that hate their jobs? My husband never